


Tooth and Claw

by ladyjax



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Animal Instincts, Animal Traits, Gen, Never underestimate a cranky crew, Perils of command, Possibly therapy animals, USS Discovery needs a therapist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 16:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyjax/pseuds/ladyjax
Summary: Lessons from the desert serve as a guide to Christopher Pike's first day on theDiscovery(Dialogue from S2 Ep1- "Brother")





	Tooth and Claw

**Author's Note:**

> I've been rewatching _Discovery_ in prep for a different story and as much as I liked Pike's character, there was something about that interaction with the bridge crew that kept poking at me. So, I wrote about it.
> 
> I imagine that by the time Pike is born, that the Mojave area has somehow survived everything thrown at it and still has a hardy high desert environment. If you're ever in the area, it's worth a closer look.

A child of the high desert, Christopher Pike was raised be observant. Not watching where you were going could get you lost for a few hours at best, or dead at worst as you walked further and further away from civilization. There were still wild spaces in the desert and the things that lived in, above and below the surface would show you fang, screech, or hiss just as quickly as they would their fur, feathers, or scales.

He's reminded of this in the short span of moments immediately after he snaps at Commander Michael Burnham. 

_I didn't sit out the war with my crew to stand down now_

The urge to reach the Hiawatha, to do the right thing, overwhelms. Chris's own frustration at not taking part in the war effort takes over and he upbraids the bridge crew for excuses that hadn't been given, only perceived. 

_I don't mind dissenting opinions. I really don't but they have to come with solutions_

Chris leans in and flings those last words at Michael. He's seen how she and Saru work; the Kelpian officer doesn't hold the chair but he might as well and she is his able second. When the words leave his mouth, he feels something in the air shift. His shoulders hitch a little; there's a prickling along his spine. All the eyes on the bridge crew are on him, wide, wary. And he feels it.

Michael's voice is calm. Her dark brown eyes bore into his own.

_Yes, I have one. That's what I was trying to offer. And for the record, there's not a single person on this bridge who would abandon a Starfleet brother or sister...sir._

When she assures him of the crew's commitment, there's a brief beat before she gives him the recognition that he's entitled to by virtue of rank. Her "sir" balances on one claw tip.

In the space of several heart beats, Chris realizes two things: Discovery's bridge crew have teeth and they have claws. Gabriel Lorca has seen to that.

And he only brought two to guard his back.

In the desert, when nature shows you her face, you take notice. Chris recognizes the warning for what it is even if Michael doesn't realize it herself Chastened, he takes a breath, masters himself, then bares his throat just enough to satisfy those that surround him.

Late that night in his new ready room, he reviews the day's events in his mind. He only includes the basics in his report to Starfleet: the recovery of the remainder of the Hiawatha's crew; the dark matter asteroid that now sits in Discovery's shuttle bay. 

He sighs and rubs a tired hand over his eyes. 

Chris doesn't tell them about the feeling of claws at his throat. That will pass with time.


End file.
